The fresh wind was blowing into his face. The hour was still early but the monastery was already a small form within the sea hardly seen by the eye where Rupert and Merlin were by now. They had left Avalon in the early morning hours, had packed their belongings and had taken the inanimate form of Mab for their departure. Father Abbot had wished them luck and had given his blessings to Merlin, but this had not changed the feeling of despair in Merlin's heart. He didn't know where he could turn now.
Looking at Mab's pale face he sighed. The power of Avalon had not helped her. Of course it was a Christian ritual place now and he should have been aware of the problem held by that. But could it help then bringing her to an ancient cult place? He couldn't remember any of the ancient groves which had not been destroyed yet or had not been occupied by the later Roman culture nearby. Looking at the last watery drops drying on Sir Rupert's hooves it instantly came into his mind. Why hadn't he thought of it earlier? He would bring her to her sister. Back to those were Mab belonged to, back to her own world.
The air had changed - if it even was air that surrounded her in the greyish atmosphere of the maze. A breeze was ripping like a wave through the alleys tearing at the thorny hedges leaving an almost peaceful image of nature after its passing. It was like an unseen force had lost its grip on the realm tying it loose from the universe. This change got Mab's attention pulling her out of the reverie she had spent the last hours in.
After countless failed tries to reach the gate she had felt more and more weary. Losing all her hope she had been ready to give up.
But now she got up again. Looking around she decided to try one more time to reach the exit. Steadying herself she took a deep breath and moved forward. Some hour later she found another opening.
When she came nearer she closed her eyes and was ducking her head in fear the hedges would clash together at any moment.
She fastened her steps almost running and held her breath only to release it when she opened her eyes again.
She had made it.
When the lake came into sight Merlin felt relief. Now everything would be alright he thought. Reaching the waterside he slowed down and got off his horse. Carefully he took Mab and laid her to the earthly ground. Then he turned towards the water and performed his mental call for the Lady of the Lake waving his hands with the special gesture.
"Why did you call me, Merlin?", he heard her say.
And there it was again, a memory long forgotten from his own past. 'I didn't', he once had answered on that question, not knowing, where this creature of a Lady had come from then. But she had insisted that he had called her. It was when he had met her, The Lady of the Lake, the sister of Queen Mab of the Old Ways, for the first time.
She had appeared when he had been sitting in one of Mab's outer caves near the lake. He had been depressed by the lessons Frik had given him, had been bored by his presence in Mab's realm, had felt overstrained by Mab's requirements. Of course it could have been worse then, but the real shock to him had been the message delivered by the Lady.
'I don't approve of what she's been doing … creating you and letting your mother die like that…', she had said. This had been the first time when he had felt hatred for Mab. He immediately had wanted to leave in disgust and she had helped him, warning him of Ambrosias illness.
She had always helped him, hadn't she?
"Why did you call me?", he heard her voice again, this time louder and actually pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Still I come with the same cry for help my Lady."
"But you have won, have you not, Merlin?", she asked. "I have heard of the great battle and the fall of Camelot."
Merlin sighed. "Not quite My Lady. It is not finished yet." And he motioned to Mab's lying form on the ground. The Lady paused for a moment. A single fish was dancing around her neck. But still her skin was glowing in silvery magic. An ethereal being she was, floating over the water with an always calm, yes nearly expressionless face never truly revealing her thoughts. And when she continued her voice was still neutral, neither upset nor relieved.
"What do you want from me? She is dead, defeated and drained from all her powers; like I had foretold her."
"But no!", he claimed. "She is not dead yet, but she hasn't awoken for weeks now – you must do something to make her come back!"
"You forget I'm the Lady of the lake. I'm made of water… now everything's flowing away from us and I have accepted it - unlike her. There is nothing to do for me."
"My Lady—", he hesitated. Changing looks between her and her sister. "If you can't help her with power, will you at least bring us back to her world beyond the lake?"
"Merlin you do not seem to understand. Even if my powers would not be put on ice… she is nothing more than a mere corpse. Finish its sufferings and let her go!"
With that she had vanished slowly from his sight. But he could do nothing than to stare at the point where she had been just a few moments ago.
What had just happened?
He never had been rejected by her before. The Lady had indeed always helped him. She had told him about his mother and aunt, had given him Caledfwlch, the sword later known as Excalibur, had shown him the way to Dun Guayrdi, the home of Launcelot and had taken back the sword after its need had been full filled.
Even in these useless deeds, like finding a protector for the throne or defeating one of many tyrants, she had always given him hints or tools.
But for Mab… she simply would let her sister die.
Was it not this very circumstance they had accused Mab of so long ago?
He shook his head. They actually were on their own now. He could not believe it.
He had hoped by bringing Mab back to her own people, she would be able to recover. In her own land of magic she would be able to draw enough power from the earth. She would be cared for by her people. The little folks she had tried to save all these years, they would finally be able to save her. He had wished so much to be free of this sorrow and grief. Free of his guilt.
In resignation he turned around and took up Mab again.
"I guess we have to find our shelter elsewhere.", he said to her not awaiting any reaction.
Let her go…If only he could.
He went back to Rupert and straddled him.
"Was that just young Merlin I sensed?", Frik asked when the Lady approached him. She didn't answer immediately just taking her place next to where he was collecting some shells at the caves margin.
"Good king bad king you judge to easily, Merlin", she said after a while.
Frik shot her a questioning look.
"He is always so eager in believing in what is right and what is wrong."
She smiled.
"So determined to believe in the good of the world…"
"What did he want?", he asked.
"Oh nothing but to help me saving his enemy - my enemy - our enemy from extinction."
"You mean Mab – isn't she defeated?" Frik's eyes grew wide with horror and disgust.
"Don't worry", she declared. "It is only a matter of time."
Satisfaction spread over her face and she explained further.
"Her soul is already too long gone from this world too have any energy left. I guess she is ceasing to exist the very moment."
Mab couldn't believe it. Finally no hedges had trapped her inside the maze. There was a clearing now behind the labyrinth. She stood in front of a huge stony gate. Determined to take a closer look she made a step forward. The gate reminded her of the large monuments of the old Celtic cultures. In times when she had been worshipped by the Lá Téne the people had created large circles of stones like this. They had carved their markings into them and honored her and the other gods in their rituals there.
There once had been so many others like her. But then people forgot they were gods and they became Fae folk and mere spirits. In times when she had been worshipped by the Dubhonni the people had created similar circles of stones like this.
The stony gate was high and the carvings on this one encircled the stones resembling a tree on each site with twisted branches in knots and patterns. The air seemed dizzy between the two collars. She could see that the area was falling into an abrupt cliff behind it. It was probably reaching down deeply. The landscape was formed with a sheer like you could find many on Britain's coasts, especially in the south.
She felt unsure. Was this the only way out?
Through the stones and then falling from a precipice…
Would she survive this? Or did she have to die for a living?
Well at least anything would be better than surrendering or staying in this twilight zone forever.
"It's only forever. Not long at all.", she heard a cold voice behind her.
She dared not to turn around.
"You're sure you wanna do this?", he asked.
"Return to a world of war and hatred, where no one believes in yoou?"
She could feel his breath on her neck.
"That is why you are dead!", she hissed and finally turned around to face Vortigern.
"You didn't believe in me! So Merlin had the power to harm you with Caledfwlch. You chose your own destruction.", she stated.
He only shrugged. "Yeah I know that, so I'm trying to prevent you from choosing your destruction."
"But I can't stay here… I grow weaker and weaker.", she answered.
"But what do you think will await you once you get back?", he mocked. She dared not to think about it.
Instead she turned from him, trying to ignore him. But he wouldn't stop. The moment she turned she was only to be faced with him again suddenly appearing before her.
"Your majesty, do you dare to jump through that gate?", he challenged her.
Uneasiness and anxiety overcame her. She tried to evade him by retreating, but he would not leave her in peace.
"Will you survive this?", he mocked, "Or will you land in the Christian hell?"
He was circling her.
"Or if you should get back, do you think you'll have enough power to keep your form steady in a world of non believers?"
He raised a hand to her face cupping her cheek with it. Gently stroking his thumb over her skin he murmured: "You will fade either here or there… such a pity"
She hesitated. His cold blue eyes were piercing her gaze.
She couldn't feel anything as if his touch wasn't even real; he was dead, a ghost haunting her for a visit. An immortal soul in his own realm, where she could not go to.
As if reading her thoughts, he said: "There is nothing you can do against it…nothing… only fading… or dying like a human."
Well if these are my options, I'd rather take a real death, she thought.
With that thought she resolutely spun forward.
She was prepared to tackle him out of her way, but Vortigern was suddenly nothing but an immaterial ghost that was no hindrance. With full force she flew right through him not able to stop herself. She stumbled through the stone gate before she could even realize her mistake. When she passed the gate she felt an electrical tingling all over her body and the next moment she was over the top of the cliff heading down into the unknown depth.